Oct 2, 2010

Hic Sunt Dracones.

Hic sunt dracones.

Here there be dragons!

What a saying eh? It's like pirate talk, but serious.

Marked on all the best medieval maps, "Hic sunt dracones" is just one of a collection of flavoursome warnings that also include : "in his locis elephanti nascuntur", "in his locis scorpiones nascuntur" and "hic cenocephali nascuntur" ("in these places elephants are born, in these places scorpions are born, here dog-headed beings are born"). From Wiki.

Hic sunt dracones is also the name of that first image right up the top.

The image tells the story of eight dwarves who, every night at dusk hear a horrible bellowing noise emenating from the earth beneath them.

Finally, after weeks of terror and sleepless nights, they decide to send the bravest of their number (Baeowulf) down into the earth to investigate.

But as so often happens in life, the brave dwarf is on a fruitless quest because, in reality, the dragons and demons the dwarves seek are lurking in the shadows directly behind them. They are- unseen because they are unlooked for.

You are probably not aware that Baeowulf is one of my favourite stories, and that Baeowulf means "Bee Wulf" which means a "Bear,". In my household Baeowulf also has the honour of maintaning its dypthong - much like Aegypt, Aetilogy and Haematology. Baeowulf ...? Well the political correct manner is "Beowulf" but I like my spelling better because ... because it's mine. :)

Which to my untrained ears sounds much better than the clumsy transliterations accompanying it.

But:

To the crux of the matter: the Illustration Friday prompt for today is "Beneath". And I've been working on Goldilocks and the six dwarves for about a week, so that is lucky. You think I'm kidding? Well this morning as I was telling my wife about how the dwarves kept eating her porridge... then I sudenly realised that it wasn't Goldilocks at all, but Red Riding Hood and the Six Dwarves ..... hmm.

"Now whose been eating my porridge said the little dwarf?" It has a kind of ring to it. I wonder would the Brothers Grimm be interested in it. Still it's all very confusing when you get to my age (26).

I've also been working on Rapunzel - not that I tell anyone, else the prince be jealous. So I threw her in this post too - but she, like the dwarves, is a work in progress. Her hair is hard to do when it is that long - (it's common knowledge that I have enough trouble with my own). And yet, frizzies and flyaway hair aside, she hangs in there with the theme "Beneath".

The dwarven names? Well I was going to call them 'funny' names like Rhinitus, Stupid, Boring, Unhappy etc, but I thought it was too close to Grumpy, Sneezy et al - and since Walt Dysney owns the metaphorical DNA helix for all cute dwarven names, I didn't want him jumping up out of his cryo-tank to come looking for me.

So, avoiding Gimli, they are called Cedric, Edward, Gayus (he's the Roman one with tight pants), Beaowulf , Godric, Arlo and Roderick. The eight one has no name because .... okay, his name is Freya, it's a girls' name and it makes him depressed. I promised I wouldn't mention his name on the net - so you didn't hear that, okay? Thanks for keeping it quite.

Oh there was something else.... hmm.

Ah. A BIG else!

Did I tell you what a wonderful scintillating witty brilliant artist my friend Ces is?

Today I received a special nut - not only is it the best nut I have ever received .... no but seriously I am stompfooted and bowled over twice by it's beauty and by Ces' generosity.

64 comments:

OOOOOOOOOO, I'm first, I'm first! I must type fast before someone comes in and snags my spot. Yes, I received a nut too and must make a thank you post. I need there to be like 34 hours in a day instead of 24 oh, and the stamina to go with it. But wishes are for another fairy tale so... I love, love, love Rapunzel. Hmmmmm, and where do Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Bears fit into this? Will you do a trilogy of mixed up fairy tales. Yes, do that, very cool idea, I'm so glad you thought of it Andrew, to quote my grandson "I like it, I like it" Did I mention that I love Rapunzel? Those goblins are awesome too. and the one dwarf's bare feet are gnarly and great, so many wonderful details! So I can't wait to see more of these fairy tales. Onward Andrew, onward!

Maybe for every 10th illustration you post I will be able to crank out one... I feel so sloooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww, guess that happens when you only have a couple of hours a day. This too shall pass :)Oh, no, Juan slipped in front of me, I'm not first anymore because I took to long to write my post! Lesson learned, stick with short comments, even for Andrew ;)

HAHAHAHAHHA! Hello Master Story Teller. I like that you get your stories all mixed up because I do the same and it drives my husband and children crazy!

Your art. I now think that there ought to be model figures for these characters because I am going to special order every set. I would like, for example, the complete set of all your witches, your knights, the Boschnian characters. I like little figures that I can keep inside my pocket, nexy to my phone so when my phone vibrates my thigh, the little men will help intensify the vibration.

Okay "scintillating". Really, Andrew. No one ever called me scintillating before. You honor me too much. I gave you something very little. You really deserve a giant, huge, humongous nut, preferably a pair.

I remember, I first met you on Monday Artday and I recall how excited I was. I was like a little giggly girl when I told Bella. Go ahead ask her, how I sounded as I described your art and how I felt about it, to her.

What an interesting concept, the terror you were searching for is right there behind you but you never knew because you didn't look for it.. hmm, it really makes you think! Your stories are always so interesting, and of course, so is your art!

I like the names, even Freya :)I think the idea of characters from different fairy tales interacting with each other to create new adventures sounds great...now what happens to the three bears,snow white and the seventh dwarf while the others are not there?I'm not sure why they change the amphora for a box but there's definitely a wild factor about Lulu, after all she's innocent someway but she's also acussed to bring destruction to the ones that love her (she's her own amphora).I want to tell the dwarves too turn around in the first picture. It's interesting that even the dog doesn't seem to notice the dragons.The last image is about Rapunzel? love the gothic darkness of it.

Hey Andrew, what a story! Great to post the details, it's really worth watching. :-) In fact there sure is a story for each of these faces, and the dog, which flows out of the image after words end. But gosh, are you muddled up for your tender age of 26! Where did that dwarf get his revolver in brave Beowulf's mythical time?

The dragons I would have preferred fuzzier... They loose their horrors a little bit, as everything that I can see clearly. :-)

Well I'll be danged! Aren't these just the hippest bunch of dwarfs you've ever seen? Seems to me you're polishing the fashion sense in your characters here... a kind of satisfaction after creating too many bare naked ones? Well, it's good to finally click big for the images without having to shoo off the wee ones first. Heheh.

Although now, after clicking big, it makes me wonder about the shadows lurking behind me....

Anyway, happy belated 26th birthday! I wish you all the diphthongs, vowels and consonants to forever grace your household... (^_^)

Frightening! Chilling! The monsters must have mouthwashed before entering, lest their bad breaths give them away. Oh my! I have this intense desire to scoop up the little men and hide them under my hoopskirt.

I shall pause while you reflect on that.

Love the glow of light on their faces and dark shadows in the periphery! I am marveling at their fashion sense, too. They accessorize wonderfully!

Why are manhole covers round, by the way?

Oh, that reminds me. I saw a commercial for shower gel made specifically for Man Hide. Hehehehehehe.

But I digress.

Wow, Rapunzel's tower sure is eerie looking! I think the Brothers Grimm would be giving you a standing ovation for that one. Well done, well done!

And YES, Ces's nuts are a wonder to behold. And YES, she was as giggly as a schoolgirl when she first discovered you.

MAGIC WORD: saliniI want to eat a sandwich made of pickled jalapenos and salini.

Wow! This is so typically great and typically you! "They are- unseen because they are unlooked for."Hah! That gives you away! With wisdom like that, you must be more than 26! ;-)(Probably closer to 28, if you ask me...)I´m especially enjoying your demons/devils/dragons his week. They look so real with the textured skin and all.

Cedric and Edward and the rest of these little dwarves are so very intriguing, here, Andrew. Hmm, what a great story line you have got.At 26 you are so way over the top in creativity! Lucky you!!! My fav here, though is the bottom picture...ah so very haungting for this time of year...xxoo

What noodity and who is vulgr? Honestly I need to get some sleep. I am so tired. I attended so many meetings today where people were speaking words like paradigm, bandwidth, stimulus core measures, reimbursements. A lot of letters in one word...

Hey Karen, oh we should have kind of nuts club. Sounds like a chocolate bar, which should keep everybody happy :) "Care for a nuts club perhaps.?" as said in a leading edge milbar.

Thank you for typing so long, it is very kind. I'm glad you like Rapunzel. Why was she locked away.... ah yes I remember. In the original version she actually became 'with child' while she was locked away, though neither her nor the prince understood the 'mechanics' -- well maybe the prince did?

It moght be a story the wicked king layed about! :)

Don't worry about not producing work.Gee Cedric Cedricosn of 13th century Bolivia only made one painting in his life - and now look at him...

Just kidding.It's not the quality but the quantity...No...We get remembered by our best work I hope, but our worst work drags our memory down.So slow and sure is the best way!

Heh Ces, you are making me blush - and it's not just my makeup. Double nuts? Hey, I would be very embaressed. I'm glad you mentioned the figures - one of them is the village baker and you know what they do? But seriously, each dwarf wikll have a little embroidered sweater with the initial of their first name on it. You know what us dwarves are like, - always mislaying our clothes - so the letter will come in handy.

Vanilla! Thank you for your kindness. You know I just started reading a book I've had since I was a kid - the Penguin Book of Horror stories, they are very silly. I read one about this hand which takes on a mind of its own and crawls around and does mean things etc. I thought that was silly - but last night as I went to bed I thought I heard something in the dressing room, and went I went in my whole row of armani suits were vibrating slightly, as if someone had been going through them just a moment before...

Needless to say, I slept in the spare bedroom.Just kidding about the Armani. I only have one suit and it is being taken out at the moment.... :)

Thank you Ana. You know mixed fairytales would be just the go! There are a few that have metamorphed in different cultures that seem to share the same elements Tom Thumb and Hansel and Gretal come to mind.

You know it's quaint that Pandora's box thing. I bet a man invented the tale. (just like wrote Adam and eve and the apple thing) Men are scared of women who show their own mind - it threatens their masculinity - so they make themselves more secure by blaming on women many things...

Haha Amalia, oh I have flizzy fry away hair? There goes my movie carreer. And I mispelt dypthong? Dang! You are right its has a curly red line under it! :) Those dwarves? To be honest I was exhausted after dressing them!

When I have children I am going to get a nanny from Norway, a Cook from Czecholsvakia (oh I nearly spelt it right!) and a fashionista dresser person from france to help me with my little dwarves.

Haha Bella, well you have given me many enticing things to think about. Thank you! Why are man holes round.... ? Ahh I will ponder that. And the monsters breath? That is a great point! I think since Sendak all montsres have lovely fragrant breath - yet dwarves have dwarven breath. So I wouldn't let them any where near your hoop skirt.

Except for "gayus' of course. He should be alright, that little Roman chap. !

Hey Janne! I was only kidding about the Nanny from Norway! It was just alliteration! Oh you have been so busy it was a joy to se all your hard work on your blog.

I will be there for a long visit in a while. Oh the wisdom? I suppose it tells you that I sleep with the door shut with a piece of string tied from my big toe to one post of the four poster bed - in case someone tries to steal my big toe during the night.

It's just a shame how talented and gift and crazy you are Andrew!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!! You just amazing and freakishly brilliant and talented and I mean that in the very best way!! I heard that you sing real well too. Song please!!! NEVER MIND BELLA!! Song Please sir???? I'm waiting!!! Okay what key? A B C or D? We are still waiting. Oh you need some hot tea and lemon?? Fine, Okay, Song please!!! You know you shouldn't tease old ladies like this! The devil may get you! he he he he he he!!Hugs V

OK..so this is a post of masterpieces I must say. I am loving ALL of them. How can you not, what with these fantastic faces and expressions? I also love the dog's perked up ears..reminds me of the RCA dog, Victor! I love that you are discussing this with your wife, as well..oh the conversations you must have!

Next, Rapunzel..again, wondrous...look at that jaw-dropping composition..I can't do that. I really can't! I'm looking at this in awe. And then finally, the graveyard..my favorite. I don't know why..it's peaceful to me. Beautiful and peaceful...the statues in the moonlight are superb.

I come here to say hello, and thank you, dear Andrew, for your kind visits and for me to get my fill of your richly, beautifully illustrated world of dwarves, demons and serene settings. THANK YOU! Bee Wulf...love that!

A nice story, but I'm waiting to read how it finishes, do the dragons and demons do any harm to the poor dwarves? Well, well, their number is eight and that is maybe the reason for the mess of fairy tales? I like the image where there's a light flowing from their heads - maybe this is their strong hope that the underearth mission will be successful?:-)) I like very much your dwarves' names...

Oh, Rapunzel! MY heroine - don't forget I was in a close contact with her, her life, problems, hopes, troubles and love for about a year! Even tomorrow morning I will see her again on our puppet theatre scene. (We'll watch the guest- performance of "Rapunzel" in our town. As a matter of fact the audience will watch and I will spend those 45 minutes in crossing my fingers and hoping that everything passed successfully!) I think your illo is perfect for the theme "Beneath" - I like the perspective and the cold colours of the tower below!

Ello Mate! You are one wacky and talented dude! Love your twisted version of Goldilocks and the 3 bears or is it a twited version of snow white and the seven dwarves? Anyway Freya emailed me yesterday. He wasn't very happy either. Seems he has been tagged on Facebook and is pointing the finger at some bloke from down under with an amzing blog... hmmmmm wonder who? Love the angle on Rappunzel.... is that Rappunzel and the hare? Afinally... that night scene is creepy and fantastic... I guess you could say it is creeptastic!

Hi Andrew. I'll tell you something, the only difference between my London and other London, is that mine has a little more fog. So I could not see the queen. I think she did not want to see me.Ah... the truck ran over me! is a beautiful feeling!I think I do it again.Well, I've been busy doing sandboarding, but began to blow north wind and the sand was disturbed. (Was it the dragons?Hugs from the dune!!!!!!

Is there a place on the map that marks the travels of your imagination? I'm not sure it's easily navigated, but I'm tiptoeing along with the others, as it's a fascinating and exhilarating trip! Wonderful job, again! :o)

Andrew!This time I arrived a week late to the feast of dragons, dwarfs, Beowulf, Rapunzel.... and other fantastic creatures!is a fascinating world!I really liked it the first image, the faces of the dwarfs and the "brave" chosen to face the worst fear, the dragons behind them ... All this leads to childhood again!and the night scene with the moon is awesome!very good! I loved it!

squeezing myself between all the comments (but prefere to be between and not first,grin....)would like to tell you with my poor english that I find your work mystical and somehow very electrifying.. thanks for showing up in my blog, I fell very flattered by your words.

Hi Andrew. You've had a long weekend, Saturday-one, Saturday-two, Sunday-one, and Sunday-two, and would continue Sund... no no no better stop this stupidity now.I have searched "floeating" in the Google translator, and he says:"Image inside a brain that sometimes can not find the door." I saw a Magritte's door with a hole, it may be that the door, no?I have my damaged knees of sandboarding.The four boys invited me up to the balcony only for photography, when it came the catering, they did not leave me to approach the table!(especially RS)

Andrew, this is serious, uh, really.There is one detail that caught my eye. Are the flowers you put it.And I wonder: Why? ... What is the purpose? ...And do not dare to answer me, please!This is what I will again, and again, and again and again, to look at this post.

Vanessa, oh if you heard me sing you would know how the chalk feels as it is drawn across the blackboard to make that noise that sets the edge on your fingernails --- chalk and me, we have a lot in common!

Thanks for all those wonderful words. I will send my first DVD to you. It's opera of course... :)

rossichka :) well I know the rapunzel performance ripped of course (ripped means 'went very well - rip tear and lacerate!), and that the play along with your husband's muffins are the talk of the town.You know I read a translation of Rapunzel the other night - so the prince jumps from the tower, lands on the thorns and is blinded? meanwhile she is pregnat with twins on a lonely island? No wonder they were the brother's Grimm!

Aha Jack, I was just talking about you actually. Creepitastic? Well, there it is English now has another word ... at last :) Oh wasn't it Sleeping Beauty and the seven dwarves - she wakes to find that she is their half sister and their mother is the wicked witch of the north?? sounds familiar ... hold on let me wiki google it :)

Roberto, well I am glad to hear about your accident. The truck would have been more comfortable than the pushbike, no? Their wheels are in different places! Good luck with the sand boarding. You know some people are scared of the sand man?

Michele, thank you so much. Oh the map? Oh there is no map, there is just a small line that joins a point, and when the line gets to the next one, the first point disappears into the blackness... You stand at the new point and draw what you see, then go onto the next one...

haha Roberto. So I have a silly grin on my face now. I am sorry anout your knees, but the 'fleoating' world has a lot to answer for, Do you know Geisha? Well I am ignorant of Geisha except for what I have been told, have read or have seen.

Avagoodweegend! I think I have not had red wine for three months and still my nose looks like that of Mr Clause

Nothing better than a stolen flower to give to a lady.A red rose, that she wears in her hair.Superb, the images such a few words convey. "Stolen' is so emotive, it leads us down the path of examining the lover's motives, eh?Oh the flowers are on the grave of snow white sleeping beauty little bo peep and red riding hood. I couldn't decide so I covered her up with flowers. It's like making bad hand writing to cover spelling mistakes.